Sonia Simone says, “There are a million techniques that make your content better and more popular.(Probably a half-million just here on Copyblogger.)Strong headlines, smart copywriting techniques, storytelling, humor, etc.But there’s one insider trick that makes the rest of it easy.It starts from the very beginning, when you’re figuring out what type of content you want to produce.Start by picking a crowded topicCopywriter Gary Halbert famously advised copywriters to look for a “starving crowd.”In other words, if you want to open a restaurant, put it where there are already... [...]

Jim Yu says, “Visual content has been dominant in the marketing and personal communication worlds. In recent years, professionals have begun to notice that rich media do much more than look nice — they increase engagement, understanding, and can tell the brand story.When people think about the best ways to communicate with their brand audience, they often assume that written content is the best path. But the human brain actually processes visual content faster than text. That might explain why Forbes found that among senior executives, 59 percent would rather watch a video than read an... [...]

Jodi Harris says, “SlideShare is a popular, business-friendly social site – one that you probably already use to enhance the life span of your company’s PowerPoint slide decks and other presentation materials. But could you be overlooking some of the most powerful features and functionalities the platform offers for greater content marketing success? Acquired by LinkedIn in 2012, SlideShare has expanded its capabilities to incorporate additional design options, functionality, and media formats – such as audio, HD video, and more. Content marketers who understand how to take full... [...]

Mark Gadala-Maria says, “While the concept of relevance has always driven successful marketing efforts, it is a core requirement for effective marketing in today’s cluttered and hypercompetitive marketplace. In fact, the entire premise of all search engines is determining the relevance of any one website to a submitted search query, and matching it with the searcher.Crowdsourcing has served as a premier method for gathering relevant content for centuries, although the actual term for this process wasn’t coined until 2006 by Jeff Howe in a Wired magazine article. The British used an... [...]

Ayaz Nanji says, “Most content marketing agencies (66%) produce, on average, fewer than 10 campaigns a month for each client, according to a recent report from Moz and Fractl.The report was based on data from a survey of 30 marketers working at content agencies. Respondents were asked to answer a 14-question poll that explored topics such as the cost of services and the reach of campaigns.Some 41% of respondents say their agency produces fewer than five campaigns per month for each client, on average; 25% produce 5-9 campaigns per month, on average“.Content Marketing Agency Benchmarks:... [...]

Jeff Sierra says, “Many marketers today seem quick to jump on the latest strategy, approach, or technology, attracted by the promise new and amazing results. It’s done with great enthusiasm and the best intentions, but often also with a lack of planning and forethought. And when that happens, the enthusiasm and excitement can quickly turn to a feeling of epic failure.With all the buzz about and allure of content marketing, jumping in quickly and then not seeing the expected results happens a lot.Here are three common content marketing mistakes and some ideas for how to avoid them.Mistake... [...]

Kristin Hovde says, “Creating a successful B2B content marketing strategy is easier said than done; many marketers have different views on what works and what doesn’t. Eighty-six percent of digital marketers are using content as a way to educate and inform their audience, according to MarketingProfs.If you aren’t seeing results from your content marketing efforts, then there could be one thing standing in your way of it being a success: relying on your memory instead of writing it down.When you are writing countless pieces of content and dispersing them to several different websites,... [...]

Aaron Agius says, “High-quality content can help your startup build a recognizable brand, increase your email list and acquire new customers. The challenge isn’t understanding why you should invest in content marketing, but how.I could spend hours explaining content marketing statistics, giving numerous examples of successful content marketing initiatives, and even creating a custom content strategy for you. But if you don’t have the right tools in your arsenal, you’re fighting an uphill battle.Choosing the right content marketing tools can help you expedite your content marketing... [...]

Rainmaker team says, “Today’s guest on Hack the Entrepreneur wasn’t always an entrepreneur. He attended Harvard and worked in investment banking at Goldman Sachs, did policy work for the National Economic Council at the White House, and political organizing for the Service Employees International Union.Then he gave it all up to become an entrepreneur.He is the CEO and co-founder of Mic, a leading news and media company for young people. Each month, more than 20,000,000 readers rely on Mic’s unique sensibility to stay informed and make sense of the world“.The Art of Working... [...]

Buddy Scalera says, “Here’s one of the first rules of yourvisual content strategy: Don’t use stock images on your branded website. Stock photos are cheap and easy, hence tempting. Do not be tempted by cheap and easy. (That’s advice that you can apply in other situations, as well.)Visual content is a cornerstone of almost every branding campaign. And yet, we still see respectable brands using stock photographs that undermine the credibility of their hard-earned visual-branding standards“.Say No to Stock Photography and Create Authentic ImagesContent Marketing Institute [...]